Andbew flannigain



`ANDREW vFLAnnieaiN, or TRAPBE, MARYLAND- 'Lmm Patent No. 77,366, dem Api-z 28, 186s.

.IMPROVEMENT in res-BREAKERS.'

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T0 ALL WHO IT MAY CONOERN:

lBe it ltnown that kI, ANDREW FLANNIGAIN, of Treppe, in the county of Talbot, and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ice-Breakers for opening-channels in iccbound harbors, canals,

te.; and I do hereby declare the following to he a fuljl and exact description thereof, reference being had ltov the accompanying drawings, forming a part ot` this specification, in whichl' i Figure 1 is a plan vview of my improved ice-breaker.

Figure 2, a side elevation; and Figure 3, a vertical central longitudinal section thereof. Similar letters indicate like parts in each ofthe gures.

The nature of my invention consists in the combination of projecting stay-bcams with 'the' front of a suitably curved ice-breaker, and also in the'combination, with such beams, `of.,cnttinglblades of peculiar construction,A as hereinafter described. i I

Heretof'ore the various forms of ice-breakers, for opening harbors and navigable streams', have all been constructed with a view or breaking the ice, either byru'nning under the same and liftingit by means of the momentum of the vessel, in combination with its buoyancy, or else by running up upon the ice, and crushing it down by the sheer weight oi' the vessel'and of the 4breaking-apparatus. In either case themcans Aresorted to for breaking the ice causes much if not all of it to pass and. be left Heating in the opened channel. 'This floating ice obstructs the movements ofthe ice-boatlitseli`, and also quickly knits and congeals together again under the influence of the frost, left undisturbed.' .Moreoveig the strain upon ice-boats operating either to lift or break the ice, as has just been described, is so greatv that very/'strong and powerful vessels', which cau onlyy be built at a great cost, are'required. I

The object of my invention is to so construct an ice-'breaking apparatus as that it will operate to open'a channel-way and leave it entirely free from ice,'and which shall work with such ease that it may be employed with any staunchly-built steam-vessielfor be worked by horse-power, independently-ot` a vessel, in canals, and in all situations which will admit of a footing .for draught-animals.

My improved appartusconsists et'a deliecting-frame, A, made stron-g and solid, of suitable timbers, properly stayedand supported by bolts and braces-.of woodor iron'. This frame is made of the width desired in the ehannelto be opened thereby through the ice. It is formed witha sharp front edge, w, from which a central rdgea, rigs` 1 and`2, inclin'es rearwardly at an angle of from about twenty to thirty degrees. The frame 'slopes away with an easy, gentle curve'from this ridge d own to an edge on'either side.

Where the deiecting-frame A is to be use din combination with the bow o'f-a vessel, B, g. 2, the rear part thereof is so constructedjas to leave an open space, 6,'g. 1, coinciding exactly in its "outlines vwith the lines of the said vesscls lhow, so as to ft and embrace the same closely. The ridge a of theframe, in such case, terminates at the point from'whenee the open space starts, so as to t against the prow of the vessel when combined therewith,'lwhilst the sides, S S, of the frame (which is in all casesmade wider* than the vc'ssel) extend backsufliciently'to give a rm, secure'support thereto, (see iig. These sides S S are made to' narrow from 'a point about the centre ot thelfra'me, rearwardly, and are protected by guard-beams F F, of wood or iron, which may also be continued -along the 'entire length of thevessel B. The projecting sides S S of the frame are made to extend out beyond the `.paddle-wheels,where the v-essel is propelled by such wheels, to protect vthem from the ice. The deilecting-frame A, built solidly, as described, is heavily planked and sheathed;

Stay-beamsor tinger-beams, l), of wood or iron, are also firmly secured to the side edges of theframe, so

as te project forward `therefrom, just above its Water-line, leaving un open angle between their lower sides and lthe front edge of the frame, at the juncture of the two. Hence, when the frame is properly secured to the bow of a vessel, B, these linger-beams, D, will project over and rest upon the surface of theice, C, while the front edge, w, ot the deliecting-frame A, will incline down un'der it, as illustrated in` lIi-gtf?.

Thin steel or iron pIates,"E E, are 'seeuredtothe sides of the frame, in'tlie angle at the juncture of the finger-beams D withthe detleeting-franie A. These plates are-cut back, both from `the lower side of the beam D above, and from the edge, w, ot' the frame below, to a centralline betweenl the twointo angles or offsets, forming teeth e e, these teeth beingset forward soas to chisel successively a groove through the ice, both on the upper and lower sides thereof, as the frame is forced lagainst it. A sheet of ice,

'of the freine, is thus cut, which, forced by the Aforward movexnent' of the frame up its inclined surface, will break o n 'the angular ridge va, and dividing into cakes, will slide oli' downritsjcurved sides S-S, and-be thrown o upon the unbroken ice on `either side. V 4 u .'.lhe projecting finger-beams D, in connection with the'iront ledge, w, of the frame A, will prevent the frame from passing under, or riding up onto the ice against which it is impelled, and will keep it steadily in position v against its edge, so that the cutting-teeth shall take hold thereof fairly and easily.

lll'hefsameV devices, by steadying thoframe, render anyrear attachment thereto unnecessary inits operations, so that it may be used independently of a vessel, and instead ot' being propelled thereby, be drawn forl ward by horses or other motive-power, by means of ropes, Gr VGr, `iig. 1.

Aof' the width of the fro-nt4 I contemplate placing cutting-blades or teeth upon the central ridge a ofthe frame, to facilitate the divisio`n of the sheets of ice thrown up thereon.- I

Although the apparatus may be constructed as an independent machine, to be propelled by the bow of a steam-vesselforto be drawn by horses, I contemplato constructing in this inanner th'eforlward part 'of-asteamvessel, built expressly as 'an ice-boat. l

`Hav'ingthus fully described my improved ice-breaking apparatus, I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Brojecting finger-beams D D; combined with lthe front edge, w, of an inclined freine, A, on either side thereof, vand with cuttingblades arrangedV at their intersection with said fx-ame, and operating to cut the ice'on u therupper andlower' sides thereof, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

i The foregoing specification of my improved ice-breaker, signed by me, this fourteenth day of February,

` A. FLANNIGAIN.

Witnesses: i

DAVID A. BURR, lA. FLANNIGAIN, Jr.'- 

